Wildheart of the Month | Sander

It’s time for a brand new Wildheart of the Month (WOM)! Every month we interview one of our Wildhearts. We ask them about their Crossfit journey, their day job, their favorite movements and about some other goofy stuff. This month our WOM is Sander Gravesteijn-Baans (46), a member since 2.5 years. A Wildheart whom we had to drag into the box, which since then has become his second home.

Dragged into the box

‘After a year of eating crisps on the couch so to speak, I was literally dragged into the box. I was picking up my wife Madelon. Usually I waited around the corner, because I was a bit intimidated by the whole Crossfit thing and didn’t feel comfortable going inside. But this time it took really long, so I decided to peek inside. Georgios spotted me and dragged me in. I immediately saw that my prejudice of ‘big athletic guys’ wasn’t correct. The box was filled with regular people of all sizes and shapes having fun while working out. This is when I decided to give it a go. Previously my father passed away, and this also gave me a wake-up call: I wanted do everything to stay healthy.’

“I am very happy that Georgios literally dragged me into the box”

Personal training

‘My Crossfit journey actually started with three months of personal training (3 to 4 times a week) by Georgios. I remember my first WOD (in a group) very well…, I thought I heard my name a thousand times (‘Sander think of this..', ‘Sander remember that..’). At this moment there is still so much to learn. But I am less frustrated and enjoy the progress and the journey. It brought me so much: a healthy body, confidence, but also a lot of friends and a real fun community. The box feels like a second home to me now.’

From welder to project manager

‘I started my working life as a welder. Against all advice of my parents I didn’t want to go to college, I wanted to start working when I was 18. So I started as a welder, but in short time I found out that this was not the right place for me. As a welder you have no human contact, because you are always hidden behind your mask. After many years of working hard and learning a lot within the the petrochemical industry I now work as a Project Manager at a pipelines and construction firm. One of the similarities I see between my career and my Crossfit journey is perseverance.’

Lifting weights

‘Sometimes I surprise myself by scoring good on a workout that looks horrible on the whiteboard, and the other way around. So it is hard to tell what kind of WODs are right in my alley. But I like everything with a barbell, especially practicing on technique. The weightlifting classes are my favorite. And I actually see some progress here, with adding some more weight here and there. It may not always be apparent, but in these moments I am really happy!’

My favorite Wildhearts moment

‘My absolute favorite Wildhearts moment was winning the Club Games ’16 in the scaled division, with the awesome ‘Blondes and Beards’ (Sander, Lee, Mirjam and Julia). I still have our teamshirt, but I don’t wear it anymore. Too smelly.’